FOIA Fun

One of the benefits of moving back to this blog is that I'll be able to spend a bit more time talking about things that were not appropriate/of interest to the larger audience at CNET.

Case in point....

I recently received the result of a Freedom of Information Act request that I submitted to TSA, in July of 2007, for "my file" -- essentially, any documents relating to the boarding pass incident, and the several occasions when I've been stopped by the police at airports for refusing to fly without ID.

TSA found 436 pages of documents, 151 of these were released in full, 179 were heavily censored, and 106 were outright denied to me.

I've just started digging through the papers -- and have already found some really juicy stuff, which will give me fodder for several blog posts, and a few letters to TSA, and maybe even a lawsuit if I can find willing counsel.

Highlights include outright lies by TSA/DHS employees, my social security number showing up in some shadowy TSA investigative database, and information indicating that that a Joint Terrorism Task Force as well as someone at the Bush White House were keeping tabs on my boarding-pass saga.

In the coming weeks, I'll scan some of the goodies, and post a bit of commentary to go along with them. However, in the mean time, I have a request to the Internets:

If anyone has any experience with the process of appealing a FOIA denial, or better, knows a lawyer willing to help me out (for free), please get in touch. I have a copy of EPIC's FOIA bible here, but it's not exactly easy reading.

I have 60 days from February 19th to file my appeal.